Indianapolis man decapitated while working on cell tower in Kentucky

CYNTHIANA, Ky. — An Indianapolis man was decapitated Wednesday as he worked 240 feet above ground on a cellphone tower, authorities said.

A deputy Harrison County (Ky.) coroner identified the victim as Joel Metz, 28. He was living in Indianapolis and working for an Indianapolis company doing work at the Kentucky location, said Emily Ware, the deputy coroner.

Paul Metz said the way his nephew died was a shock, especially to his brother and Joel's father, Jeff Metz.

"He's taking it pretty hard. I'm sorry that Jeff had to hear that," Paul Metz said. "You never really think something like this is going to happen. All of a sudden, there it is."

Rita Metz, Joel's grandmother, said she feels badly for his three sons, who are ages 5, 7 and 8.

"It was just terrible," she said. "I just pray that he's with the Lord and with the people he loves."

According to his Facebook page, Joel Metz worked for Indianapolis-based Fortune Wireless Inc. and had attended Plainfield High School.

Calls to Fortune Wireless Inc. Thursday were not returned.

On Tuesday, Metz posted a photo of the rolling Kentucky landscape, apparently taken from high atop a tower on which he was working.

Harrison County Sheriff Bruce Hampton said Metz was one of two workers on the tower when a heavy antenna fell and a cable struck him around 2:20 p.m. Wednesday. Hampton said Metz was still hanging in his safety harness five hours later, and a crew was called in from northern Kentucky to bring his body down.

Hampton said two other men were on the ground when it happened. No one else was injured.

The Associated Press and Star researcher Cathy Knapp contributed to this story.